Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Changzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Changzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $708 in Changzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,160 in Changzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,612 in Changzhou.

Living in Phuket is roughly 79% more expensive than Changzhou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Changzhou 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$2.84 ¥19.24

65.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$26.70 ¥181

69.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$4.24 ¥28.74

98.82%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.95 ¥20.00

-0.68%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.48 ¥3.22

43.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.25 ¥1.68

48.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$0.69 ¥4.66

249.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.42 ¥9.64

161.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.99 ¥13.49

12.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.27 ¥8.61

44.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$0.93 ¥6.30

133.33%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.80 ¥12.18

22.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$6.80 ¥46.08

190.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.41 ¥16.33

50.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$9.43 ¥63.9

43.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.77 ¥12.00

85.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.79 ¥12.11

-10.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.65 ¥11.16

46.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.96 ¥6.51

116.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.73 ¥4.96

109.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.92 ¥6.22

60.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.39 ¥2.65

153.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.49 ¥3.30

4.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.01 ¥20.42

46.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$10.32 ¥69.9

87.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.69 ¥4.65

157.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.62 ¥11.00

67.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.30 ¥2.01

356.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$13.20 ¥89.4

-13.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.35 ¥9.14

123.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.28 ¥1.91

253.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$2.71 ¥18.34

420.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.16 ¥7.85

17.24%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$15.4K ¥104.2K

83.39%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$17.4K ¥117.7K

89.38%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$122 ฿3,975

$44.68 ¥303

172.38%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.57 ฿443

$11.47 ¥77.7

18.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$18.22 ¥123

0.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$38.78 ¥263

55.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$14.10 ¥95.5

21.56%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$6.43 ¥43.53

35.15%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$693 ฿22.6K

$230 ¥1,560

201.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$13.9K ¥94.0K

13.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$46.28 ¥313

28.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$26.00 ¥176

33.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$70.6 ¥478

62.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$69.0 ¥467

20.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$285 ¥1,931

115.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$204 ¥1,384

113.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$844 ¥5,715

148.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$472 ¥3,196

219.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,967 ¥20.1K

26.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,597 ¥10.8K

63.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,140 ¥7,722

-55.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.35

59.10%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Changzhou: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $285 in Changzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Changzhou pays 124% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $27.00 in Changzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $174 per month, with Changzhou cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Phuket vs Changzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changzhou is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 79% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Changzhou earns 124% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $285 in Changzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Changzhou – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $708 in Changzhou versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changzhou but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Changzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Changzhou is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Changzhou are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Changzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.